The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-05-27


asked. quickly, ''or can you go in ashore
by the linei III look for him"
I'm 90 ashore, " she had begun 10 say,
when he had plunged out through big
wave. and could no longer hear her
She turned and slowly made her way
back. clinging evcrto the saggingrope.
Bot she had not gone far, when some
thing checked her steps and caused her
50 turn sharply and face seward.
A Wild cutlery for an instant made her
heart stand still, A bitter cry, and sud
den hoarse shouts. Then the beach
blaekened with men and women by thou
sands other than the bafhers.
Man drowningw That was all. That
was the awful cry.
Elma Warmer standing statue like. with
eyes siraining to know the worst, could
not even feel the water that Tapped her
feet. She was incapable of feeling any
thing; cold as ice; frozen from head tc
foot. For BOW she knew-half intui-
lively, half by circumstances-th
Harry Fielding was out there beyond
reach Of the boldest and going down to
his death.
She could not stir. She could only
stand there feeling frozen.
The shouts of outcries constantly in
creased, until the hubbub was madden
ing, il seemed to her And still she
stood there, with capability for Just one
agonized idea;
..lfI could only SWIM
zf.-l-li-------l-@.--lafei- avowod
lover, the man VINO had weaned her heart
from Edwin Denton. Harry out there,
battling, struggling, dyingl
She faneied she saw his arms flung up
for the last time; then hushl WHY
should they cheer2 What was that
Who was that out therel Could she see
the CLEAN Of orange and paler blue than
: salty watersa Why should they cheer
/ Was il because another risked his life to
{ save her lover'sl Was it because Ned
! Denton had not waited, had not hesitated.
had gone out there to save the man who
had robbed him of her lover Hush F,
+ Another cheer Was she dead herself?
On either side of her some one had
caught her arms and was dragging her
mp the beach 1t seemed to her that she
must shrek aloud. Yet she was dumb.
and growing deaf and blind, she thought.
Only her mother caught her in her arms.
Mother she cried in a voice that
grated with its own agony; "Mother, will
they both be lostf'
and now another maddcning cheer.
The life savers going out, and strong
ropes gradually uneoiling.
God y prayed Elma Warmer on her
knees, there at her mothers side; "God,
II only their strength may last n
Would the life-savers never reach theml
Every second WAS indescribable torture
Yet the men had responded promptly. 1t
had been hardly minutes since the first
alarm.
Mother, can you-can you sec the blue
and Yellow Oh, God, save him for his
bravery
Then she shut her ears with her fin
gers: the men were drawing in the ropes;
the rhythmic, awful chant Of the voices
measuring the length of pull, and telling
when 10 case and let out with the cbb of
wave.
They were pulling in-what, whomi
Would the savers bring one rescued man,
one drowned, two drowned, two rescued
--or none at all, or not even a cold form
with the soul battered outl Who could
sayi
She held her fingers in her ears. The
chant Of the toiling men would have
crazed her.
And amid louder shrieks and hoarser
claraor the savers staggered ashore at last,
and laid two forms upon the sand.
Life was in both as yet But Harry
Fielding needed much rolling and skilful
-lz.zRiasilatsa1-t 10 hrina.- hilza-arnnna Dem
and tried TO staEd alone upon his feet.
His face was as CHASTITY as the others, and
had the same blue circles around the
mouth and eyes.
Il am all right, " he murmured feebly,
then his half-open eyes fell upon Elma
Warmer. She had turned from Field
ing's side
You saved him. she cried. with an
hysteficaI sob. Perhaps her voice grated
again As 4 little while before
The throng took up her words with a
mighty cheer. Fielding had been carried
TO his hotel, bat the reseuer was yet among
them.
Give me your hand, one man cried,
and then another, and ''God bless your
and the women sobbed alotid
lima Warmer sank dizzily into her
mothers embrace. and heard rather than
saw Ned Denton borne home upon mems
Shoulders hero.
or the three, Mis- Warmer perhaps
felt the shock longer than the two who
had been so near their deaths that morn
ing For several days she remained al
most wholly in her chamber. Fielding
and Denton went about as if nothing had
happened. Fielding, who was quite
wealthy, showed the other some extra
little attentions. it may be, but neither of
them alluded in any way to the late al
most tragic occurrence.
Elma Warmer. on the other hand.
could not refrain from talking of ii.
fielding must have been ill-natured on
some other score when one night he re-
sponded impatiently to a remark of hers
concerning Ned Denton. His answer was
almost sneering. ..You make a perfect
god Of him for what he didr'
Eima gazed straight in his face for a
moment She was silent, but her eyes
had dull. ominons CLEAN.
II he had been lost" she said, very
slowly and coldly, Il should never have
forgiven myself. .
Perhaps said Fielding, angrily, |
perhaps am to take this as an indica-
tien Of a change in your feelings toward
me Perhaps / am TO understand you
would like to end the engagement.
They had been sitting together in her
mothers cottage parlor. She arose at his
words. and, ere leaving the room. said:
you may take it so, If you choose.
adore bravery, and loafhe ingiatitudei'
in this way she freed herself.
That evening Denton came to her. !
They sat for time in the porch of her
mothers cottage
Are you sure, . he inquired, ''are you 4
sure y0n have made no mistake in break !
ing your engagement 10 Fielding7'
She drew more closely about her
shoulders little scarlet shawl she wore.
Il suppose you think tha; don't know |
ny own mind she said. II suppose
you think haven't any mind Of my |
own
IT has very ranch that appearance
he answered, coelly-
She reflected for moment.
4 have always known my own mind, - /
she said then, quite deliberately, except |
on one OCCASION"
Denton was silent little space. Then
- faqra1 closer - her s.lrflf vo,t toll Il